


Fuck Alabama

by Giveusakiss4132



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Abortion, Alabama is disgusting, Birth Control, Discussion of Abortion, F/M, Feminist Steve Rogers, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abortion, M/M, Minor Character Death, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Protests, Sorry Not Sorry, The Avengers Are Good Bros, Women Being Awesome, Women's Rights, so are republicans, wtf america
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 03:03:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18983908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giveusakiss4132/pseuds/Giveusakiss4132
Summary: When Alabama does it's best to drag themselves back into the Middle Ages,  The Avengers protest. And they tell their stories.





	Fuck Alabama

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bear_shark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bear_shark/gifts).



> This is a pro-choice story, and I make no apologies for it. When Alabama passed this insane new law governing a woman's body and taking away her autonomy, I got mad. So did a lot of people. I hope you're mad too. I know Steve Rogers would be. 
> 
> There's a lot you can do, if you're mad: Donate to Planned Parenthood. Donate to the ACLU. Contribute to pro-choice candidates. Scream into the void. 
> 
> Vote. Speak out. Share your story. 
> 
> In this fic I'll share Tony, Bucky, Clint and Steve's stories about unexpected or nonviable pregnancies and how the right to choose impacted them. I did not share any female characters stories, because it seemed too personal. 
> 
> I encourage anyone wanting to, to take this idea and run with it. Share your story. Share their story.
> 
> Get mad. Stay mad.

“What. The. Fuck?” Steve stared open-mouthed at the television. 

 

“Huh?” Bucky had just woken up and was still sleepy-eyed and sheet mussed. 

 

“Those toothless cousin fuckers in Alabama just made abortion illegal. No rape or incest clauses, just flat out illegal after six weeks.” Steve was going to punch something. Steve was going to punch everything. 

 

“There’s no way they can enforce that.” 

 

“It’s not about enforcing it, it’s about pushing it through the court systems and overturning Woe Vs. Wade.” Steve dialed Sam. “You seeing this bullshit?”

 

“Yeah man, I’m on twitter. Fucking Republicans,” Sam swore.

 

Steve was already starting to look off nobly into the distance, and Bucky sighed as he put on the eggs. This was going to be A Lot. He could already feel it. 

 

“Hold on Sam, that’s Clint. How do I do the- okay! Clint, you here?”

 

“You see this shit?” Clint answered.

 

“Oh I see this shit,” Sam muttered, typing in the background. “Motherfuckers.”

 

“I’m organizing a protest. What’s my twitter handle? The official one, not the shit posting one. Hold on, that’s Tony.”

 

They made a time and a place, and let the world know. “Tell everyone to bring food and water, we’re not spending any money in Alabama,” Steve shouted down the phone, even though everyone could hear him just fine. “Fuck Alabama.”

 

***

 

“Buck, did you get ahold of Natasha?”

 

He nodded slowly. “Said she’s sitting this one out.”

 

Steve sputtered in rage.

 

“Hold on. Hey, Sugar, hold on. You don’t know what they did to her, they fucking sterilized her. There’s no cryo for her, there’s no Shuri working her magic that can fix that. They took her ability to have children, Honey. You let her process that however she needs to, and you don’t give her shit.” Bucky was defensive around Nat since his memories of her came back. She was one of his, one of the children he trained back when the Russians had him. 

 

So Steve puffed up and mumbled but let it go. It wasn’t his place. Instead he called Peter up to make sure he could make it, and touched base with Tony again so they could make sure everyone was accounted for. 

 

They were ready. 

 

****

 

There were already thousands on the streets, signs ready and fired up when The Avengers touched down. Protests were happening all over the country, but this was the biggest one. Every Avenger had been posting, tweeting, and interviewing on every platform. Tony even went on Fox. Supposedly it was to announce a new branch of Stark Industries opening up and promoting job growth, but instead he’d made the hosts of Fox and Friends cry. 

 

Tony was a good friend. And he brought his checkbook. 

 

“Let’s start passing out snacks and water to everyone here. Water first, this fucking swamp is going to dehydrate people. Toss me that case, would you?” Bruce threw a palate of Hint water his way and Steve started passing it to the crowd. “Don’t spend a dime here, come on. Anyone need to fill up, we brought gas containers, you come find us.” Steve passed gluten-free granola bars out next, running boxes down the street. Fuck Alabama. They had another hour before the protest officially started. He wanted people’s energy up. 

 

“You got any chocolate coconut ones left?” Natasha still managed to sneak up on him. 

 

“Didn’t know if you’d come,” Steve wrapped her up in a hug. Nat was getting really good at hugs lately. 

 

Natasha shrugged. “They took my choice from me, and I’ll never get it back. They don’t get to do that to any more women.”

 

“This is tax deductible, right Pep?” Tony shifted Morgan in his arms and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Morgoona, how do you spell ACLU?”

 

“A, daddy. Good job. C, uh huh,” Morgan started before Tony tickled her, passing his checkbook to Bruce, who added another zero with a smirk. 

 

“It is tax deductible. Make one out to Planned Parenthood too.” Pepper rescued her daughter, and started tickling her too. Morgan had the best laugh. 

 

“Sam you got the markers?” Steve checked. 

 

“Bucky’s got them, Parker’s bringing the signs.” Sam passed out water to everyone. 

 

“I’ve got drones up, ready to take pictures and post the best signs on social media. Got a speech set up for the end too, announcing that Stark Industries is pulling out of Alabama, Georgia, and any other state that decides half the population doesn’t matter.” 

 

“Finally, capitalism being used for good.”

 

“Rogers, anyone else know you’re a socialist? Cause I gotta say, I’m still reeling a little.”

 

Steve just rolled eyes and pulled the newly arrived Bucky in for a kiss. “Hey sweetheart. You think of anything to put on these things?”

 

Bucky smiled. “Why don’t we just tell our stories?”

 

Nat looked up from helping Morgan with her water bottle. 

 

“Yeah. Let’s do that.” 

 

****

_ Clint _

  
  


“Baby number two, huh?” Nat was doing that thing, where she was pretending that she didn’t give a shit, but was already planning to pick up those soft cotton baby clothes and a new stroller. She had a  _ thing _ about children getting hand me downs, and hey, free shit was free shit, even if it came from a place of trauma. 

 

Clint took a sip from his cup and made a face, handing it to Natasha. How she drank that glorified milkshake masquerading as coffee was beyond him. He’d take it black, like a man. Of course, when he said that to her once, she flipped him over her back and choked him out with her thighs, but she was fresh off of her murder for hire spree, so excuses could be made. But he still sipped his man coffee in quiet. 

 

“Baby number two. Laura gave the okay to start telling friends and her family, since she’s twenty weeks now.” Clint laughed, a little giddy. “She can’t sleep on her stomach anymore, you would think it’s the end of the world.” He never thought he’d be a father, hell, he’d never thought he’d be a husband, but here he was. He was small potatoes, he knew that. A good spy, and a great shot, and even one hell of a good guy sometimes, but being someone’s dad? Having someone to go home to and bandage up his ribs and kiss his hurts away? Never thought it would happen. Not to someone like him. 

 

But baby number two. God damn but Laura was a miracle, that was certain. She chased their daughter around and kept the place running and managed to make it all look so easy. His sunshine girl, with her freckles in the summer and her weird thing with putting mayo on everything. It had gotten so much worse with the pregnancy cravings. He came home last week to find her dipping pickles into a jar of mayo and eating it with a fork. It was one of the things Natasha and Laura bonded over, their love of disgusting sandwich glue. Nat put it on beets. 

 

“You know, someone else could have my six, if you’re thinking of taking a desk job.” Nat was real casual about it, like she wasn’t just proposing he leave behind the only person in this place he trusted. 

 

“Nah.”

 

He could argue, and make a big thing of it, but that’s all they needed. They kept it simple. 

 

“Okay.”

 

****

 

By some miracle, or more likely by Natasha lying about paperwork deadlines, Clint was able to make the ultrasound. This was the big one, where they’d find out if they were having a boy or girl. Laura always said she wanted to be surprised, but once that goop got on her stomach she was the first one asking. 

 

Clint didn’t mind either way, but he wouldn’t mind another girl, not one bit. As long as they were healthy, that’s all he cared about. 

 

Laura glared when he offered her a sip from his water bottle. She had to drink a ton before getting one of these things, and Clint’s heart went out to her. Having to pee and not being able to was the worst.

 

The machine looked like something SHIELD would produce, all sorts of bells and whistles. He still couldn’t believe he was about to see pictures of his kid before they were even born. The heartbeat was so fast, but apparently that was normal. It was also normal to cry your eyes out, according to Laura, cause that’s what he was doing. 

 

“Hmmm.”

 

“What’s hmmm?” Laura asked sharply. The nurse smiled and shook her head. 

 

“Nothing, let me just check on something with the doctor. Don’t worry Mrs. Barton.” 

 

Then it was more ‘hmmms’ and even a “oh” or seven. And then Laura was holding his hand so tight he lost feeling in his fingers because there was heartbeats, but only half a brain.

 

Half a brain. Or, more like most of it, but not all. Clint didn’t know, he didn’t understand. He was just a dumb carny that lucked out for a little while. 

 

Laura wasn’t crying. She was good in a crisis. She was cool as a cucumber when the doctor told her that the baby inside her could live in a vegetative state, but never improve. Could survive on machines but not on his own.

 

It was a boy. 

 

And she was steady when the doctor told her that they couldn’t terminate the pregnancy this late, and they’d have to travel out of state for it. 

 

And she was real calm when the doctor offered to pray for her and she smacked him with his own stethoscope.  

 

****   
  


Laura had always wanted to go to California, and Clint had never had the time to take her. But that’s where they ended up. A fancy clinic, best his health insurance could buy, laying on a table with Clint clutching her hand as they took his son away. He didn’t look, didn’t know how they did it. He looked at her sunshine face, with it’s freckles and it’s laugh lines and he loved her. She was sleeping, still calm. Still peaceful, his sweetheart. 

 

Clint was the crier in their relationship. Finally found someone he could cry around, after all this time. 

 

“Love you,” he whispered, over and over even though she was knocked out. 

 

They took the week to rest, see the ocean, dip their feet in. They watched movies and ate junk and kissed a little. Laura’s mom had the peanut, probably the best place for her. But they were both missing home, and Laura said she needed to get back to real life. 

 

Still strong. Unshakable, his lady. 

 

When they got home Clint checked in and took another two weeks. Fury was good about it. He settled both his girls down and grabbed the mail, bringing it on a tray with a glass of grape juice for Laura and Lila. He’d take her dancing next week. He’d take Lila to gymboree class.

 

Laura sorted through the mail, patting their daughters' hair, making her sleepy. Laura gave the best head scratches. “Oh, Nat sent us something!”

 

Clint wanted to yell at her to stop. Wanted to grab it from her hands, but he froze up.

 

He never froze.

 

Laura unwrapped tiny, pale yellow and green onesies. Little ducks and bunnies all over them. They looked soft.

 

And then she cried, like a wounded thing. Hurt and broken and screaming, she cried and soaked through their daughters' shirt with her tears, squirming to be let go but Laura clutched her harder, so Clint came and wrapped his arms around them both, and held on. 

 

*****

_ Tony _

  
  


It was almost impossible  _ not _ to get laid in college. Tony had no idea how anyone graduated a virgin, but it was clearly their own fault. Even the ugly people were getting some. 

 

Tony passed the rolled up twenty to whatever-her-name-was, something flower… Lily? Daisy? and sniffed, coughing. “You want some more?” Tony was a generous guy. 

 

He was also out of condoms. He could borrow some of Rhody’s but the drawer was so far, and she was so, so warm. He told her, cause he wasn’t an asshole about everything but she laughed. “My mom put me on the pill before I started freshman year. I’m good,” so Tony went in bare, which always felt so much better anyway. 

 

He didn’t see her again until she showed up looking like shit almost three months later, all cry faced. Telling him she’s pregnant and wasn’t with anyone else but him (which was probably bullshit but whatever). His Pop was gonna kill him. 

 

“I don’t even like kids,” was the only coherent sentence he got out of her. That might have been less on her and more on him and the very good weed he had just been enjoying. 

 

Tony shrugged. “So don’t have it.” He handed her all the cash he had in his desk… or was this Rhody's desk? Whatever he was good for it. “You know a doctor who can do it? I don’t wanna call my Pops,” Tony was feeling a little sick. Too many pizza rolls probably. 

 

The girl was blinking up at him. He blinked back. Then she took the cash and shoved it into her purse. “Okay. Okay yeah. Should I tell you where I’m going?”

 

“Uh I don’t think they’ll let me in the room. Don’t worry about it, yeah? I’ll see you around.” She looked all cry faced again, so Tony guided her out of his room and waited an hour before he left to make sure she was gone. 

 

Tony was sober enough to drive, so he gunned it to the closest drug store and bought out every condom they had in his size. 

 

He still couldn’t think of her name. 

 

****

 

_ Bucky _

 

He and Cora had been steady almost a year, and Bucky figured he should see about maybe buying a ring. His Ma liked her a whole lot, and his sisters did too, even Becca, who never liked any of the girls he brought around. Cora was a real prize, all blonde and sweet-faced and a little round, just like Bucky liked. And she was good to Steve. Always asking after him and not minding too much if Bucky didn’t have enough for drinks and dinner because of Steve’s medications. She was a real good egg, always asking Steve about his art and getting all fired up alongside him when that bakery next door wouldn’t hire any Jews. 

 

He could probably fall in love with her like he should. They’d get a place, him and Cora and Stevie, cause, of course, he wasn’t leaving Steve behind just because he was gonna get hitched. They were a package deal. They’d get a place, maybe a split level. Bucky grew up in a house, and if he was being real honest about things, living in an apartment with Steve was the pits. Not that living with Steve was bad! Living with Steve was perfect. He cooked everything Bucky liked and kept the place so neat Bucky would save a plate and eat off the floor if he knew Steve wouldn’t yell. Steve was always baking things for the neighbors who had kids. Becca joked that Bucky would never settle down since Steve was a better wife than any woman ever could be. 

 

Becca was lucky Steve didn’t believe in hitting women. But he yelled and carried on enough that Becca quit saying it in front of him. 

 

Cora had a nice job in the city working for some big wig jerk as his secretary. They could afford a little house between her salary and his, and Steve could stay home and work on his art and Bucky’s dinner. 

 

He’d see if he couldn’t wheedle his Grandma’s ring out of Ma. Bucky was always her favorite anyway. 

 

*** 

 

He’d never been with anyone besides Steve, not for real. It was so… different. Warm still and tight and slick on its own without having to use any vaseline. Less of a mess for sure. Cora was so much softer, and quieter.  Not as bossy as Steve. But she liked looking into his eyes and you had to practically strangle an “I love you” outta his best guy, but she said it so much it was a little annoying. He should probably say it back, but the words just would not come. He’d say it later. Honest he would. 

 

The ring on her finger was only a diamond chip, since Becca had kicked up a fuss about grandmas ring, but Bucky thought it looked real pretty still. He’d get a bigger one for her later, and a nice band for Steve too. Something matching. 

 

He finished, trying to keep it down. Did she? Do women do that? He asked and she laughed and told him she had a real good time. 

 

***

 

Steve must have actually paid attention when Bucky was trying to teach him to box, because he was gonna have one hell of a shiner. Bucky would have been real proud, but Jesus it hurt. Bucky wouldn’t hit him back, of course, Steve was his sweetheart. Can’t go around hitting your babydoll, can you. 

 

“Did you at least use a condom?” He was spitting mad, Bucky could just tell. 

 

“Why would I do that for? She’d never been with anyone and I’ve only been with you. Not gonna catch anything from a virgin, Steve.” Sarah Rogers have given him the talk on diseases you could get from floozies, even showed him pictures. Bucky had been scared to kiss a girl until he was seventeen, so he kissed Steve instead. 

 

“You could get her in trouble!” Steve hissed. 

 

“We’re gonna marry her anyway,” Bucky shrugged, but he felt a little sick about it. He couldn’t afford a kid and a house and a Steve. 

 

“There’s no we! We can’t marry the same lady, dumbass! And I don’t like you no more anyway, going around sticking it in someone else.” Now Steve was all teary eyed, shit. 

 

“Don’t talk like that, hey now. Hey, Sugar, hey Baby. Don’t be so mean to your Bucky.” He stroked Steve’s ear, the good one he could hear out of. “Ain’t I always put you first? Huh, doesn’t your Bucky make sure we’re real steady?” He was practically cooing to him, that tone Steve pretended to hate but fell for every time. “Won’t your Bucky make sure you’re the happiest? Hmm, set us up real good, give you a garden you can paint and enjoy nice fresh air?” Steve huffed, crossing his arms. “Wouldn’t you like a cute little baby to play with huh? What you worried about, Cora is a sweet girl, she’ll make us happy.”

 

“I’m not raising your dumb baby,” Steve swung again and Bucky stepped back quick. 

 

“No baby of mine could be dumb,” he tried for a smile but Steve was too angry. “I’m gonna give you time to cool down Angel face. I’ll be back tomorrow okay?” 

 

Steve threw a pencil at his head on Bucky’s way out. 

 

****

 

“What do you mean Steve can’t come with us?” Cora had been real funny the past two months, getting sick at nothing, moody and snappish. She’d been rude to Steve, even. Bucky had been real patient, explaining that you gotta be sweet to Steve, or he’d burn your dinner, and she’d started talking crazy about living by themselves and how Bucky might learn to boil some water once in awhile. 

 

“I mean we’re gonna be raising a family, we can’t just have your best friend in the next room.” 

 

“A family is a little soon, doll face, huh. And what’s this about next room?” He thought she’d understand about him and Stevie. That was his favorite thing about her. 

 

Cora stared at him for a minute. “Should’ve known you were crooked, Bucky Barnes. No one should have a smile that nice.” She was crying and her hands were over her belly. 

 

She shook her head again, sniffling. “My aunt in Ohio is real sick. I’m gonna go spend some time with her.” She was twisting the ring off her finger. 

 

“How long you’ll be gone, Honey?” 

 

She laughed, not her usual sweet giggle, but bitter. “About seven months.” She twisted the ring off her finger. “You’re a real rat, Bucky.” 

 

“I thought you knew,” he whispered. 

 

“Maybe I did… don’t matter now.” 

 

And that was that. 

*****

 

_ Steve _

 

It was more blood than Steve was used to seeing. That was saying something, seeing as Steve had broken his nose no less than ten times and tended to cough until blood came up every time the weather changed. But Ma had yelled for him, and Ma didn’t yell much, only when she was scared. So he’d come running as fast as his ten-year-old legs could carry him (not very fast) to Mrs. Halburt’s apartment, three floors up. He’d been real strong and carried the big kettle full of almost boiled water from the fireplace to beside Ma, and he’d kept the linens real clean, just like Ma taught him. 

 

Mrs. H was all sweaty, even though it was winter and the only heat her place had was the tiny fireplace. Her place only had the one room, where Steve and his mother had a bedroom and their own kitchen too. Mrs. H was even poorer than them, what with her four boys too young to work and her husband losing his job two months ago. Her dress was round her waist, and Steve carefully turned his eyes away. Ma had said to always respect a persons dignity, and he didn’t think Mrs. H would much like him staring at her privates. 

 

The dress was all soaked in blood, going all the way up her back and into her blonde hair. He didn’t think someone could live without that much blood outside of their body, and by the look on his ma’s face, he was right. 

 

“Stella, sweetheart what did you use? Stevie, wash that cloth in the water and ring it out good, give it here.” Steve did as he was told, hands shaking. Mrs. H was nice. He hoped she wouldn’t die. 

 

“I tried that tea that Rosa gave me, but nothing happened. I couldn’t Sarah. I couldn’t do it, god help me I can’t even feed the ones I’ve got now.” Mrs. H burst into shaking sobs, her whole body seemed to be crying. Steve started and then reached for her hand. He didn’t understand, but he’d been almost dying enough times to know how nice it was when someone held onto you. “I used some wire,” Mrs. H sobbed out. “I was gonna start showing soon, and then there’d be nothing for it.” 

 

Ma took out the cloth she’d put inside of Mrs. H. It came away thick with blood and something green that smelled so bad Steve had to shift his head so Mrs. H wouldn’t see him put his shirt over his nose. 

 

Ma closed her eyes, and stopped working. She dipped her hands into the water, too hot for Steve but ma said she hadn’t been able to feel heat on her fingers since she worked in a laundry, back in the old country. She dried them off, and came to sit by Steve and she stroked Mrs. H’s hair all soft. “You have an infection, Love. You need the hospital, and you need penicillin.” Mrs. H cried even harder, shaking her head. 

 

“They’ll jail me, Sarah. Or they won’t take me at all.”

 

“I know a few doctors that won’t say anything, Stella love, but we need to go now.” But she was still shaking her head. 

 

Her hand was burning hot, and there was a small gush of blood. Ma looked up and met Steve’s eyes. “Go on home, Sunshine. Get that chicken in the pot, we’ll have the boys over for supper.” Steve wanted to stay and help, but he also wanted to run back to his apartment and never come here again. 

 

“Sorry you’re sick, Mrs. Halburt. I hope you’re better real quick.” He squeezed her hand and walked down the stairs to his own place, bigger and cleaner than where he was. Ma and him were lucky she had such a steady job. He washed his hands and put the chicken into the soup pot, covering it with water. He was getting to be a good cook, with ma so tired from working all day. He thought of Mrs. H’s face and added some carrots and a few onions. They were out of potatoes, which was a shame. He gave it a stir and some salt and went to sit on the couch that doubled as his bed when he caught sight of himself. His knees were all soaked with blood. 

 

He cried a little then, since he didn’t need to be real brave with no one watching. 

 

The soup didn’t take too long, since the chicken was only little. The Halbert boys came to sit, squeezing in at their little table. “Ma’s poorly,” little Jack said, mouth full of carrots. He was the oldest, at six, but Steve was in charge since he was biggest. 

 

“Yeah my ma is helping her, you want more soup?” Steve was a little hungry still, but he’d had lunch and Ma never had seconds, since she was biggest too. All four boys nodded. They hadn’t had lunch, probably. So Steve filled their bowls up, and set aside some for Ma. He’d last until breakfast. Plus he had a candy bar Bucky had given him, just because, that he was saving up. He could eat that if he was starving. 

 

Mr. Halbert came down after the sunset and Steve lit a few lamps. He looked like he might be poorly himself, all pale and sweaty. He smelled real bad, like the green stuff that Mrs. H had coming out of her. “Boys, you’re gonna have a sleepover tonight with Steve. That alright, kid? You mind watching over them?” Steve shook his head, going to find the spare blankets Ma kept on hand. 

 

All four started fussing for their Ma, and Mr. H’s hands shook as he patted his boys to try and calm them. Steve, having some experience with babies since Bucky had more sisters than anyone knew what to do with, brought out the books he’d taken from the library yesterday. He hadn’t had a chance to read them yet, and hated reading out loud, but sometimes you had to make sacrifices for little kids. 

 

“Come pick out your spot on the bed, and I’ll read you about some trains. Come on Jack, you want the red blanket? My granny made that, it came over from Ireland on a boat. Ollie, come over here and get close to the fire so you’re not cold.” He used the voice ma did, all steady and calm. He picked up baby Johnny, who was only walking a little and gave him a gentle squeeze. He couldn’t have the chicken since it was too tough so Steve had given him the most carrots. 

 

He read all three books to the boys before they fell asleep. Steve was squished in but he didn’t want to go to his couch since the baby might fall off. 

 

The screaming started around three in the morning, according to Ma’s fancy wooden clock. She’d brought that over from Ireland too. The boys woke up, and cried a little since it sounded scary. Jack asked if his ma was screaming and Steve shook his head. “Just someone in an alley. Here, lay down.” 

 

Half an hour after the screaming started, it stopped, and Steve was glad he didn’t eat much since he wanted to throw up, and throwing up was a waste of good food. 

 

Ma came home when the sun was starting to come up. She looked real sad, and Steve’s lip wobbled but the boys were waking and he had to be brave. Steve reached into the box he kept under the bed and brought out his candy bar, and split it into five pieces, handing them to the boys and his ma. 

 

Mr. H came by after they took Mrs. H’s body away. 

  
  
  
  



End file.
